Don't let yoga scare you away

June 23, 2014

Everyone can sit, so there is no excuse not to reap the heart-healthy benefits of yoga. Just sitting on the floor in a comfortable position or standing in place and focusing on your breath for 20 minutes a day can ease feelings of anger, anxiety and depression. / Lawrence Jenkins/Dallas Morning News/MCT

By Jen Mulson

The Colorado Springs Gazette

So you finally made it to a yoga class. Congratulations! You’ve probably seen a yoga center or a class pop up near you, in a building, in a park, or in someone’s basement. That’s because yoga has been growing steadily since its introduction to the U.S. in the 1970s. And for good reason. Yoga can help with stress. It can also help you wrap your arms around losing weight.

According to a 2012 study done for Yoga Journal, about 20 million Americans over the age of 18 practiced yoga in 2012. That’s up from 15.8 million in 2008. And more than 80% of those practitioners are women.

Of those polled who didn’t currently practice, 44% said they’d like to, making them “aspirational yogis.” This article is for those that aspire to try it.

Because while there’s plenty of information available about yoga gear, clothing and locating a class, when it comes to finding explanations for what actually goes on in the class — well, some might be a little shy about trying it out.

So here are a handful of things you might find unusual about yoga or that you might not understand. This should help you feel more at ease when you try it for the first time.

"Namaste?"

Nama say what? At the end of almost all yoga classes, the teacher will offer a brief thanks and good-bye, saying “Namaste.” The class then says it back. Some thing this word suggests people who practice yoga are in some kind of cult. But really, the Sanskrit word namaste is an often-used salutation between people in India. It means “I bow to you.”

You don’t have to say it back if you don’t want to. No pressure. Sometimes people say it silently, when they’re too whooped or relaxed to even open their mouths.

"That's not any English I've ever heard."

If it sounds like the teacher is talking in a foreign language, it’s because she is. Often, the teacher will call out yoga poses in both the English and Sanskrit versions. Warrior one is virabhadrasana one. Mountain pose is tadasana. Postures are known as asanas, which means to sit in a way that is steady and comfortable. You’ll begin to learn and translate the asana names before you know it.

"Om? Are you getting me into a cult again?"

No. Sometimes yoga classes begin and end with chanting, and that can mean repeating the phrase “om” or other numerous longer Sanskrit phrases. A technical, historical explanation would be long, and yes, some chants do include the names of Hindu gods and goddesses, so they could be considered religious. Chanting can feel good to your body, much like singing or humming does, and the sound the oms or chants create sounds beautiful. Think about the word “amen,” intoned after a hymn in church. Notice a similarity?

"What's this thing that we do at the end of class where we just lie there?"

That’s savasana, also known as corpse pose, and it’s done at the end of every class. Sometimes you’ll take savasana during class, too. It’s a resting pose, allowing your body to soak up the work of the challenging poses you just did, and gives you an excuse to find complete relaxation in the middle of your day, something everyone can use.

"Why do I have to take off my shoes and socks?"

Most studios don’t want your dirty flip-flops tracking in the outside world, but even if they did, you don’t want to be doing postures with shoes on. You can wear socks if you insist, though many teachers will warn you about the chance of slipping and sliding all over your mat, potentially leading to injury. You don’t want to accidentally slip into full splits, do you?

"The teacher keeps touching me."

These are called assists or adjustments. They’re meant to either gently correct your alignment in a posture or encourage the body a little deeper into a pose. Sometimes their only purpose is to make a human connection through the power of touch. And you can opt out any time you want — just tell the teacher before class or let her know if she asks at the beginning of class. Assists can happen through class, even during savasana, when a teacher might rub your temples or squeeze your toes.

"Um, the people around me are breathing really loudly. Are they OK?"

That’s ujjayi pranayama, otherwise known as victorious breath. Pranayama is another Sanskrit word that means breath work, which can be a big part of a yoga class. Prana translates as life force and ayama means extension, so extension of the life force. Isn’t that a great word for breathing?

Ujjayi is done through the nose — no mouth breathing. The exhale involves constricting the back of the mouth, so the breath is loud. It sounds like ocean surf — or Darth Vader for “Star Wars” fans. The ultimate goal is to carry the ujjayi breath all the way through class, until savasana. So let your neighbor’s breath be a reminder to keep up your own.

"Why are people putting towels on their yoga mats?"

If you’re in a heated and humidified yoga class, you’re going to sweat. Those drips of sweat drizzle onto your mat, and create a slippery environment for hands and feet. Yoga towels are spread across your mat so they soak up wayward moisture. They can be purchased at studios or online.

The nubby side of it goes down and the smoother side faces up. Or you could make a newbie mistake and put the nubby side up. It made for an interesting class experience.